How Off-Label Drug Research Supports Profits

How Off-Label Drug Research Supports Profits - Ethical Questions of Harvard's Biederman's Drug Research Raised in 2006

Kudos to Evelyn Pringle of the Media Monitors Network for an excellent case study of how drug companies promote research for off-label uses. "Just What Kids Need - Sparlon - Another ADHD Drug" (March 2006). http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/28396

The report features DuBose Ravenel, MD, a pediatrician with 25 years experience with ADHD children, who testified for the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology at the FDA's March 23, 2006 meeting of the Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee and blew the whistle on Joseph Biederman's conflict of interest in his research supporting an off-label use for an ADHD drug.

Together Evelyn Pringle and Dr. Ravenel raised ethical questions of Dr. Biederman relationships to a drug companies. See "Researchers Fail to Reveal Drug Pay" June 8, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/08conflict.html?_r=1&em&ex=1213070400&en=9971013dfd33290a&ei=5087 of drug treated subjects at final follow-up were "much" or "very much" improved clinically, 52% were not."

"This is a substantially lower response rate than has been reported for traditional stimulants," the doctor notes.

Dr Dubose Ravenel is a pediatrician with 25 years experience in private practice with a heavy emphasis upon behavioral issues, including diagnosing and managing ADHD.

"In addition, she notes, with regard to potential conflicts of interest, itemized conflicts for each of the Pediatric study's authors are numerous.

"For instance, "Dr. Biederman received research support from 10 companies, serves on speakers' bureaus for 4 companies, and is on advisory boards of 6 companies,"" Dr Dubose Ravenel reveals.

"Other authors have numerous listed conflicts as well she notes.

"In light of recent widely publicized articles showing widespread deceptive practices engaged in by pharmaceutical companies in designing, selective reporting, and interpreting studies," she says, "the large number of pharmaceutical company ties with the authors of the study do not lend confidence to the reader even beyond the aforementioned concerns."

And "thank you" to Dr. Ravenel for reporting on conflicts of interest in drug research investigations. Good job.

Onward.

Richard Alexander www.alexanderinjury.com

RICHARD ALEXANDER has 30 years experience specializing in serving clients who have suffered personal injury and in wrongful death cases for families who have lost loved ones. He is recognized as a Trial Lawyer by the Consumer Attorneys of California and has achieved an outstanding record of success for his clients by providing what you need -- personal care.

After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was the Owens-Illinois Schol